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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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work ; or, taking a wider view, <strong>the</strong> fundamental<br />

idea <strong>of</strong> all religions. Subjectively, <strong>the</strong>y concern sin<br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> sinner ; or, to put it objectively, <strong>the</strong><br />

forgiveness <strong>of</strong> sin <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> welcome to <strong>the</strong> sinner.<br />

But Babbinifim, <strong>and</strong> every o<strong>the</strong>r system down to<br />

modem humanitarianism —if it rises so high in its<br />

idea <strong>of</strong> God as to reach that <strong>of</strong> sin, which is its<br />

shadow—can only generally point to God for <strong>the</strong><br />

forgiveness <strong>of</strong> sin. What here is merely an<br />

abstraction, has become a concrete reality in<br />

Christ. He speaks forgiveness on earth, because<br />

He is its embodiment. As regards <strong>the</strong> second idea,<br />

that <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> sinner, all o<strong>the</strong>r systems know <strong>of</strong> no<br />

welcome to him till, by some means (inward or<br />

outward), he have ceased to be a sinner <strong>and</strong><br />

become a penitent. <strong>The</strong>y would first make him a<br />

penitent, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>n bid him welcome to God; Christ<br />

first welcomes him to God, <strong>and</strong> so makes him a<br />

penitent. <strong>The</strong> one dem<strong>and</strong>s, <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r imparts life.<br />

And so Christ is <strong>the</strong> Physician, Whom <strong>the</strong>y that are<br />

in health need not, but <strong>the</strong>y that are sick. And so<br />

Christ came not to call <strong>the</strong> righteous but sinners—<br />

not to repentance, as our common text erroneously

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